This is only my second car in the last 30 years (or as long as I have been driving). Trusted ride for fifteen years. And it reached the two hundred thousand mile marker today.

Forget rear cameras or even proximity indicators, this car is so old that it does not have bluetooth or USB connectors. In a reminder of the long past, it does have a cassette player though!! Even the manufacturer stopped making this car over ten years back!!

I have taken good care of it – never missed a maintenance cycle and it has, in turn, taken good care of me – no major breakdowns.

The day of parting is coming though. At current gas prices, every time I fill it up, the value almost doubles!

I still cannot get myself around to get rid of it yet!

I think this is an American goldfinch. Some of you who are experts in birds might be able to correct or confirm this. Can you spot the female of the pair who had just taken flight? (Check on the left side close to the sidewalk).

The post office looks beautiful in the rains

This is in our property. I will miss these mornings when we move out of this house…

This is on our porch…

I was at the Fulton County Water department to get some stuff done regarding the new house. The staff was very courteous and efficient. I have been VERY pleased with the Tag and License office there too. For a government office, they are really efficient.

In any case, noticed this sign there. I know a bit of Bengali and Hindi. That sentence purportedly written in Bengali is anything but. Individual letters seemed to be Bengali script. Put together, it is gibberish. The Hindi one was much better – but still no cigar. The word “Hindi” itself is unreadable!!

I wonder how many of the other languages written there have the same issue. Full points for trying but they need better proof reading…

Picture taken as we took off from Hartsfield…

Sitting in the patio, looking into the forest, it was blissfully peaceful to watch the colorful leaves being torn off the trees by the torrential rains and then gently waft to the ground in a seemingly endless retinue.

Reached the 190,000 mile mark with the SC 430. That would be the equivalent of going around the earth at the equator around 8 times over!

Inching towards the 200,000 mark. If I can make it last for another year, I should be there.

The only other car I had – a Civic, lasted 12 years and 132,000 miles. I had to reluctantly let it go. By that time though, its value used to double every time I filled it up with gas!

So, I decided to get over my fear of being underwater. I can swim a little – but it is mostly thrashing around for about 25 yards or so. I have never taken lessons in swimming – so have no clue in the techniques in breathing or keeping myself afloat. Moreover, due to my acute claustrophobia, I panic underwater and just want to stand up.

But it is time, I reckon, to get over my fear of getting in the swimming pool.

As a first bold step, I drained the pool. And then got in. It was remarkably easier that way!!